PLANTS, GARDENS AND moorish INFLUENCEs IN THE PROVINCE OF ALICANTE

Sunday 15 - Sunday 22 April 2018

April on Spain's Costa Blanca varies from year to year but this trip should catch plants and gardens in their spring freshness before the heat of summer. Among other treats, members will see wild flowers including orchids in the countryside near the Montgó massif guided by Joan Birch, a local resident who has studied the wild flora of the area for years; a Moorish garden cum museum; the renowned palm groves and Huerto del Cura garden of Elche; and the Albarda gardens near Denia which mimic the Renaissance gardens of Valencia with their Arab influence. There will also be visits to a biological research station at about 800 metres and private gardens including one created by Moisés Grau, a Spanish professor of classics; the established gardens of his parents next door; and a plant-packed garden designed and created by devoted garden lovers Alan and Carol Hawes.

Members will make their own way to Elche (a short bus or taxi ride from Alicante airport) during Sunday 15 April and convene in the evening for the welcome reception in the gardens of the beautiful Hotel Huerto del Cura. The next two days will be spent in the agricultural area just south-west of Alicante, and on a visit inland. On the Wednesday the group will move north-east along the coast, to stay in hotels beside the attractive working port at Denia. When the tour ends, members can take a bus or trains back to Alicante airport or north to Valencia if they wish to extend their stay independently with a visit to Spain’s attractive third-largest city which has remarkable public gardens.

The group will be divided between two hotels in both Elche and Denia. The cost of the trip in the more economical hotels will be £675 (740 EUR) per person for members sharing a room, with a supplement of £190 (210 EUR) for single occupancy. We’ll try to match up members travelling alone who would like to share a twin room. The more expensive hotels have four stars and the cost of the trip using those hotels will be £810 (875 EUR) per person sharing and £1065 (1155 EUR) for those requiring single occupancy. The slightly more economical hotels are the Hotel Tryp Ciudad de Elche and El Raset in Denia. The more expensive are the Hotel Huerto del Cura in Elche and La Posada del Mar in Denia. The euro amounts given include charges made by MPG's bank to receive funds from other countries.

Transport during the tour, entrances, accommodation, the welcome reception on the first evening and meals are included, with the exception of the Friday evening in Denia, when members will be free to explore independently. On the first evening, the evening meal will be tapas and drinks served at the welcome reception.

This event is subject to alteration due to weather, personal circumstances of the guide or organiser, and other circumstances which can't be controlled.

Please complete the form below and send a deposit of £205 (230 EUR) per person to book. Boxes with asterisks must be filled. The deposit is non-refundable so it is a good idea to have your travel insurance in place before paying. It is essential that you read and agree to the Terms below. If you have any questions contact Heather Martin at hma@clara.net

To view the PDF about this event which was sent to members in July, please ﻿click here﻿.

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Accommodation, dietary and special requirements *

Note on single occupancy:If you are travelling alone and would like to share a twin-bedded room with another member, please indicate this in the box above, including any special requirements, for example "non-smoker only".

EMERGENCY DETAILS

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TermsMPG is an association of like-minded individuals interested in Mediterranean plants and gardens, with members organising events and tours for other members on a mutually supportive basis. It is not a tour operator and trips are open only to members of MPG and its sister organisations. Trips such as this are organised by members and for members, in the spirit MPG was founded, namely so that members can help each other finding and learning about plants and/or gardens, and exploring places that may be special. We run things at break-even, work being done mainly by volunteers. Events are subject to alteration due to the weather, personal circumstances of guides or garden owners, and other circumstances which can't be controlled. Members organising events on behalf of and/or for the benefit of members cannot be held liable for any claims.Trips vary in the amount of physical fitness required, and medical facilities are variable and can be very costly. If you have any doubts about your fitness, you should consult your own medical advisor.

To participate in this event you must have in place comprehensive travel insurance with "independent traveller" cover. If you would have to take out insurance specially for this trip you can email first to ensure that a place is available. Please provide a 24-hour contact number of your insurance company and other details required in an emergency in the boxes above.

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Please see above for the different hotel prices andfill in these boxes according to your choice.

Bank charges are payable by the sender.If you wish to pay by PayPal using a credit card, a surcharge of about 4 per cent will be added. Please email hma@clara.net if you wish to use PayPal as a PayPal invoice has to be emailed to you first.